11

This weekend, I was pleased to get to see Sierra Hull and her wonderful group of musicians at Milkboy, a quaint restaurant in Philadelphia with an upstairs music venue. Leading up the stairs are posters of coming events, and it gives you a feel that you’re about to experience something special.Sierra showed up with three different mandolins, Eddie Barbash brought his alto saxophone, Ethan Jodziewicz was on the double-bass, and opening for this magnificent group was Scott Mulvahill on the double-bass and vocals. Scott opened the show by splitting through the crowd and entering up the steps. He stands tall, he is great looking, and had the power to keep the crowd’s attention throughout his whole set. His bass playing is excellent and he holds his own with his sultry voice on the mic. If Superman were a musician, he’d look like Scott Mulvahill. After warming up the audience, Sierra and her men entered the stage. The swift playing of her mandolin keeps your attention as you wait to see where she’s heading with each note of her playing. Eddie takes over with the smooth saxophone sounds that immediately bring to mind, the intonations of Johnny Hodges. Ethan was incredible on the bass, holding that back beat and providing the glue for the evening’s set. When Sierra speaks on the mic, you can hear the joy in her voice of being able to share her beautiful music with everyone. She’s small, but makes up for it when she starts to play. The band really gelled together for this evening of music and just when you thought you had seen and heard it all, at the end of the night, Sarah brought Scott back onstage to have a double bass playing quartet. After the show, the musicians had a meet and greet with the fans which I thought was fabulous. I’d say the evening was quite a surprise to me as I’ve never had the opportunity to see Sierra perform live. I will definitely follow her and the different bands she tours with. If you get the chance, check out Sierra Hull, I guarantee you’ll leave with a smile on your face.

Sep

09

This special project of mine is about togetherness. We are all under the same umbrella. Yes, we look different, we come from different places, but we all share the one kind resemblance, we are all human beings. I would like to capture people from all walks of life for this project. If this interests you, don’t hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, feel free to view the portraits by clicking on THE UMBRELLA.

Aug

10

This year’s Community Unity Music Festival took sort of a turn this year. Mostly draped with jazz musicians, it gave way to other genre’s of music and catered to the youth of our communities. From groups like The Jacob Kelberman Band, to The Block Church Worship Group, to The Royal Excellence Step Team, to The Robert Henderson Trio who swung hard as a baby on a overcharged swing set. The music filled the afternoon with joy for those who came to hear the artists and some sorrow for anyone who’s familiar with losing someone to gun violence. That’s what this event is about. Trading guns for instruments. Too familiar in Philadelphia are the scenes of police cars parked with their roof lights glowing, but no sirens. that only means that someone has already died. Carol Faulkner, the event organizer holds this event every summer in West Philadelphia’s Clark Park at at 43rd and Chester in Philadelphia, and YES, IT’S FREE!

The weather this year couldn’t have been more pleasant, the mango juice from the vendors any sweeter, and the music any more pleasant. Quizzy came with his R&B/Hip Hop brand and brought all the young ladies down to the front row, while Barbara Walker expressed her rendition of The Theme from Sesame Street in a bluesy flow that had the crowd singing along. Jazz, the female comedian and MC had people laughing while sharing duties with WRTI radio host J. Michael Harrison on the intro mic. The afternoon blended into the dusk of the evening while the musicians continued to brighten the spirits of the crowd with their own illuminating nuances. All-in-All, this was a superb occasion. Make it out next year if you couldn’t make the trek this year. The music is always uplifting, the food is on point, and maybe next year you will be able to tell someone else with your own words what you heard that day. Below I have added my photographic documentation of the days events. I hope the images move you and peak your interest that you will come back for some more visuals next summer. Thank you.

Mar

05

Saturday nights in Philadelphia usually brings big name to to town for the Jazz community. This weekend was no exception. Ravi Coltrane, the son of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, came into town to bring some warmth to a city full of Brotherly Love. He brought along some friends that are proven in their own right. On guitar we have guitarist Adam Rogers, Dezron Douglas on bass, and E.J. Strickland on the drum kit. These guys brought their A game to town with a mixture of ballads such as Lush Life to the classic fan choice of the evening, Giant Steps. To be in a family of royalty with the last name of Coltrane, Ravi is a very humble individual. Talking with all the musicians and hanging around to also enjoy the jam session that followed his show. It’s always a good thing when you can see musicians of all walks of life sharing and having fun.

Feb

26

Growing up in Morrisville, Pa, we were a close knit community. Some families were larger than others, and we pretty much knew all of the members. Myself, we had six kids. Other families that I remember back then, growing up in the 1970’s had 6,7, and 8 kids. The Velez’s had 7 kids, and I knew them all. When I heard that the eldest was going through a tough time of his life, I felt that there would be a lot of love in the room for this occasion. Was I wrong? Nope. As I pulled up to the catering hall, there were people outside mingling. The parking lot was packed similar to a wedding reception. This however, was more than a wedding reception. This was a celebration of family, friendship, love, and life.

Elvin has bladder cancer, and although while giving a speech, he didn’t know the technical name for it, we all know the results all too well of this terrible sickness. We’ve all lost someone to this, but this warrior is here for the full fight. If you’ve ever met Elvin, you would never know he was under any doctor’s care. He can brighten a room of 500 people. If the lights blew, you could read a book by standing next to Elvin. That’s what people showed up for, to be near Elvin and show him that he’s the reason for some of the happiness in their lives. His family showed gratitude with some great food and a truckload of door prizes. If you didn’t come, you missed out on enough prizes to send Oprah’s crowd home with. In these images, I tried to show the vibe of the room that evening with what seemed to be over 300 people, all in celebration of Elvin. I saw some people I’ve seen recently and some I haven’t seen since I rode a Big Wheel. Talking and laughing, food and drink, family and friends, yes, if you know Elvin, if you grew up with Elvin, if you work with Elvin and you missed this occasion, reach out to him. Keep fighting Elvin. You have a whole group of soldiers behind you.